The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising a post-processing device that is disposed so as to be freely displaceable between the retracted position and protruded position thereof at an intra-body paper discharge section which is sandwiched between upside and downside by an image reading section and an image forming section respectively.
In recent years, as demand for a smaller-sized image forming apparatus has increased, what is called intra-body paper discharge models of image forming apparatus have been used, wherein recording media having undergone an image forming process are discharged to a paper discharge section that is disposed inside the body and sandwiched between upside and downside by an image reading section and an image forming section respectively. Among such intra-body paper discharge models of image forming apparatus are those which comprise a post-processing device at the intra-body paper discharge section and apply a post-process such as binding process and/or perforating process to the recording media that have undergone the image forming process.
The intra-body paper discharge section, because the top face and undersurface thereof is surrounded by the image reading section and the image forming section, and part of the side face thereof is also surrounded by a support member supporting the image reading section and the image forming section, is therefore darker compared with outside. On this account, there have been problems associated with difficulties in dealing with tasks such as retrieval of recording media at the intra-body paper discharge section, and/or maintenance tasks to the post-processing device, etc.
So, as described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 1-294155 bulletin, for example, an image forming apparatus comprising a light source for lighting up the recording medium discharged to an intra-body paper discharge section has been proposed.
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus as mentioned in the patent literature, since the light source has been disposed far back in the intra-body paper discharge section, lighting up a wide range of the intra-body paper discharge section with direct projection light emitted therefrom, it has been most likely for a user to see the direct projection light from the light source. Sight of such direct projection light would dazzle the user, and then rather be likely to hinder the user's workability.